Shortest time between games

[atfccfc]

Woking fc in 1993-94 played league games on the 17th, 18th and 19th of April. They won the first, drew the 2nd and clearly absolutely knackered they were pumped 1-8 against Dagenham and Redbridge in the last. The fixture pile up was because of their run in the FA Trophy. They still managed to finish 3rd though. 

[IainMorton]

I remember we played Celtic in the Scottish Cup at Cappielow 6/7 years ago. The original tie was called off so many times due to the weather that, due to time constraints (I'm sure the next round ties were due to be played a few days after the game finally went ahead), if the game at Greenock on Tuesday night finished in a draw, the replay at Celtic Park would have been played 24 hours later. Not sure how they would have worked that one out with selling tickets etc. Niall McGinn scored in a 1-0 win for Celtic so it never happened.

[MEADOWXI]

Meadow have twice played twice on the same day.  A replay and two cups;

From their history

On the afternoon of June 16, 1962 Irvine Meadow and Greenock drew 2-2 in the West of Scotland Cup Final. As the season was due to finish that day the Clubs met again that same evening and Meadow collected the silverware with a 4-0 win.

Although not the same team this is probaly worth a mention too;

Irvine Meadow won two different cups on the same day in two separate towns against two separate teams. In season 1932-33 on June 3rd (3pm) Meadow beat Ardeer Recreation 3-0 in the Irvine & District Cup final replay at Victoria Park, Saltcoats. At 6:30pm, less than two hours after this game finished, Meadow beat Irvine Victoria 3-2 in the Ayrshire Consolation Cup final replay at Abbey Park, Kilwinning. Meadow had a fairly large squad but the same eleven turned out in both games.

[HibeeJibee]

If we've moving into Junior football then we have to consider St Anthonys, who played 88 competitive matches plus 3 friendlies in 1935-36. At that time the Central Junior Leagues had some 26 clubs playing a 50-game league season. They also played in 9 cups and of course these were the days of unlimited replays and no floodlights...

Their season began on Saturday 27th July and first 6 weeks comprised:

Sat
Mon-Tue
Fri-Sat
Mon-Tue
Fri-Sat
Mon-Tue
Fri-Sat
Mon-Tue
Fri-Sat
Mon-Tue (plus friendly on Wed )
Fri-Sat
Mon-Tue ... the Mon was declared a friendly after referee didn't turn-up
Fri-Sat

At this point it was too dark to play midweek so they settled down to Saturday games only except they weren't given a match on December 21st or March 14th. As the light returned their run from Saturday 18th April was:

Sat
Mon-Tue
Thu
Sat
Mon-Tue-Wed
Fri-Sat
Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat
Mon-Tue-Wed
Fri-Sat
Mon-Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri-Sat ... they were supposed to do 2 games on the Saturday, but scratched the latter
Mon-Tue
(plus friendly on Thu )

Oddly enough they then got a blank 7 days before finishing:

Thu
Sat
Mon
Thu-Fri-Sat

playing their last game on Saturday 13th June. So they twice played 6 days running - the latter should have been 7 games in 6 days; played 25 games in 6 weeks in August; and 27 in 5 weeks in May.

[cowdenbeath]

On 12/22/2017 at 00:42, HibeeJibee said:

What will probably be among the most recent cases of 2 games in 2 days at first-class level, and certainly one of the harshest, involved Clydebank and East Stirlingshire in 1973-74.

Their tie in Scottish Cup R1 having been postponed on Saturday 15th December they'd to try again a week on Monday - which was Christmas Eve.

Ending 0-0 at Firs Park, both teams were required to turn out again the next day - Christmas Day - when Clydebank prevailed 1-0 at Kilbowie.

Cowden played 2 games in 2 days in 1978. On 4th February we beat Stenhousemuir 4-0 in a Division 2 game at Ochilview and the following afternoon 5th February we drew 1-1 with Premier League Partick Thistle at Firhill in a Scottish Cup tie with the Jags equalising in injury time.

[HibeeJibee]

Saturday-Sunday.

"Three Day Week" crisis was 1974 - any particular reason why?

EDIT: Scottish Cup R1 day was Saturday 28th January but 10 from 16 ties were postponed.

Unusually the Alloa-Dumbarton game was played the next day (Sunday)... Albion Rovers-Morton and Partick-Cowdenbeath the following Sunday.

Was it just an experiment hoping for better crowds than midweek?

[cowdenbeath]

20 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

Saturday-Sunday.

"Three Day Week" crisis was 1974 - any particular reason why?

EDIT: Scottish Cup R1 day was Saturday 28th January but 10 from 16 ties were postponed.

Unusually the Alloa-Dumbarton game was played the next day (Sunday)... Albion Rovers-Morton and Partick-Cowdenbeath the following Sunday.

Was it just an experiment hoping for better crowds than midweek?

Don't know HJ I was just a youngster at the time I would have to look at the old newspaper archives to find out. I remember the replay took umpteen attempts to get played due to the snow at the time it eventually got played on a Monday night and we lost 1-0 with Dennis McQuade scoring like he did in the 1st game.

[HibeeJibee]

It'd be interesting to know.

During the "Three Day Week" crisis in the opening months of 1974, lots of games were played on Sundays - for the first time in Scotland - as half the workforce was otherwise occupied on Saturdays. In R2 there were 10 out of 16 ties on Sunday; in R2 there were 4 out of 8; and in QFs there were 2 out of 4...

There seem to have been a few Sunday ties over the next few seasons. In R1 in 1976-77 the Clachnacuddin v Inverness Thistle derby was played on a Sunday, probably to avoid clashing with Inverness Caledonian v Stenhousemuir though it was postponed, and in R2 the Alloa v Clachnacuddin replay was on a Sunday - it seems to have been postponed the day before, so I'd guess it was to avoid Clach making the long trip midweek?

In R3 we find a postponed first tie, Hibs v Partick, on Sunday the next weekend, as was the Alloa v Queen's Park replay. In R4 the Celtic v Ayr first tie was a Sunday. Then these examples from 1977-78.

However the OPEC fuel crisis was the autumn of 1973 and the "Winter of Discontent" (which also saw prolonged bad weather) was in 1978-79. So these other Sunday ties are quite puzzling.

[cowdenbeath]

54 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

It'd be interesting to know.

During the "Three Day Week" crisis in the opening months of 1974, lots of games were played on Sundays - for the first time in Scotland - as half the workforce was otherwise occupied on Saturdays. In R2 there were 10 out of 16 ties on Sunday; in R2 there were 4 out of 8; and in QFs there were 2 out of 4...

There seem to have been a few Sunday ties over the next few seasons. In R1 in 1976-77 the Clachnacuddin v Inverness Thistle derby was played on a Sunday, probably to avoid clashing with Inverness Caledonian v Stenhousemuir though it was postponed, and in R2 the Alloa v Clachnacuddin replay was on a Sunday - it seems to have been postponed the day before, so I'd guess it was to avoid Clach making the long trip midweek?

In R3 we find a postponed first tie, Hibs v Partick, on Sunday the next weekend, as was the Alloa v Queen's Park replay. In R4 the Celtic v Ayr first tie was a Sunday. Then these examples from 1977-78.

However the OPEC fuel crisis was the autumn of 1973 and the "Winter of Discontent" (which also saw prolonged bad weather) was in 1978-79. So these other Sunday ties are quite puzzling.

Aye we played Fraserburgh on a Sunday in 1974 1st ever Sunday game for us I believe. Also had a Scottish Cup replay at  Alloa in 79 on a Sunday and a 2nd tie with them in 88 also on a Sunday at the Recs.

 

[cowdenbeath]

2 hours ago, HibeeJibee said:

It'd be interesting to know.

During the "Three Day Week" crisis in the opening months of 1974, lots of games were played on Sundays - for the first time in Scotland - as half the workforce was otherwise occupied on Saturdays. In R2 there were 10 out of 16 ties on Sunday; in R2 there were 4 out of 8; and in QFs there were 2 out of 4...

There seem to have been a few Sunday ties over the next few seasons. In R1 in 1976-77 the Clachnacuddin v Inverness Thistle derby was played on a Sunday, probably to avoid clashing with Inverness Caledonian v Stenhousemuir though it was postponed, and in R2 the Alloa v Clachnacuddin replay was on a Sunday - it seems to have been postponed the day before, so I'd guess it was to avoid Clach making the long trip midweek?

In R3 we find a postponed first tie, Hibs v Partick, on Sunday the next weekend, as was the Alloa v Queen's Park replay. In R4 the Celtic v Ayr first tie was a Sunday. Then these examples from 1977-78.

However the OPEC fuel crisis was the autumn of 1973 and the "Winter of Discontent" (which also saw prolonged bad weather) was in 1978-79. So these other Sunday ties are quite puzzling.

I've just had a look at the old Evening Times the game had been scheduled for the preceding Wednesday 1st but called off due to a waterlogged pitch along with quite a few other games and made mention of the game being on the Sunday although there were a few other ties scheduled for the Sunday. Interestingly Queen's Park were away to Vale of Leithen on the Saturday and if they had drawn the game the replay would have been on the Sunday! QP won 1-0.

Thistle had also draw 1-1 with St Mirren the day before at Love Street.

To make things worse there was a story in the Monday 5th edition with Cowden manager Paddy Wilson stating that he had been told by a Newspaper reporter that the replay was to go ahead that night but it was cancelled, it was meant to be played on the Tuesday but that was also off.

The replay was called off 10 times and eventually played on 27th February. Crowd for the Sunday game was 4000 and the replay 3000.

[Monkey Tennis]

In the days of limitless replays in Cups, what's the record that's been necessary to settle a tie?

Obviously, there's been the multiple weather postponements, and there have been occasions I remember of two or three replays being necessary - I particularly recall an FA Cup semi final between Liverpool and Arsenal that eventually got settled at Coventry.

There must however, have been some instances of ties remaining unsettled for longer?

 

[HibeeJibee]

4:

1908-09

First Round
Sat 23 Jan ... Broxburn Athletic 1-1 Beith
(R) Sat 30 Jan ... Beith 0-0 Broxburn Athletic
(2R) Wed 3 Feb ... Beith 1-1 Broxburn Athletic (aet - at Ibrox)
(3R) Thu 4 Feb   ... Beith 1-1 Broxburn Athletic (aet - at Ibrox)
(4R) Fri 5 Feb     ... Beith 4-2 Broxburn Athletic (at Love Street)

Second Round
Sat 6 Feb ... St Mirren 3-0 Beith


In the early years both progressed after 2 draws.

[prorege]

The Sunday replays at Alloa in the late 1970s were to avoid midweek games.  Alloa didn't have floodlights at the time.

 

 

[Glenconner]

On 28 December 2017 at 19:21, HibeeJibee said:

It'd be interesting to know.

During the "Three Day Week" crisis in the opening months of 1974, lots of games were played on Sundays - for the first time in Scotland - as half the workforce was otherwise occupied on Saturdays. In R2 there were 10 out of 16 ties on Sunday; in R2 there were 4 out of 8; and in QFs there were 2 out of 4...

There seem to have been a few Sunday ties over the next few seasons. In R1 in 1976-77 the Clachnacuddin v Inverness Thistle derby was played on a Sunday, probably to avoid clashing with Inverness Caledonian v Stenhousemuir though it was postponed, and in R2 the Alloa v Clachnacuddin replay was on a Sunday - it seems to have been postponed the day before, so I'd guess it was to avoid Clach making the long trip midweek?

In R3 we find a postponed first tie, Hibs v Partick, on Sunday the next weekend, as was the Alloa v Queen's Park replay. In R4 the Celtic v Ayr first tie was a Sunday. Then these examples from 1977-78.

However the OPEC fuel crisis was the autumn of 1973 and the "Winter of Discontent" (which also saw prolonged bad weather) was in 1978-79. So these other Sunday ties are quite puzzling.

Miners Strike?

Power cuts and Ted Heath ended up having two general elections in the one year, 1974.

[Kilbowie's Finest]

What will probably be among the most recent cases of 2 games in 2 days at first-class level, and certainly one of the harshest, involved Clydebank and East Stirlingshire in 1973-74.

Their tie in Scottish Cup R1 having been postponed on Saturday 15th December they'd to try again a week on Monday - which was Christmas Eve.

Ending 0-0 at Firs Park, both teams were required to turn out again the next day - Christmas Day - when Clydebank prevailed 1-0 at Kilbowie.

That was part of a hectic run of fixtures for The Bankies:

22/12/73 Airdrie (a) lost 4-1
24/12/73 East Stirlingshire ( a) 0-0
25/12/73 East Stirlingshire (h) replay 1-0
29/12/73 Kilmarnock (a) lost 2-1
1/1/74 - East Stirlingshire (a) League this time - lost 2-0
5/1/74 Inverness Clachnacuddin (a) Scottish Cup 1-1

The replay got held on 12/1/74 - Bankies won 3-2 - two from Andy Roxburgh

During our League Cup marathon against Rangers in 1976 the 3rd game which finished 0-0 at Ibrox and the 2nd replay played at Firhill which we lost 2-1 were played on consecutive nights - October 18th and 19th 1976

[Lurkst]

I remember in the 2005 Kirin Cup the games were only 48 hours apart. Can't recall Scotland having a tighter schedule than that.

 

[HibeeJibee]

Subsequent to Saughton Enclosure suffering 20+ postponements, this was/is LTHV's run last week/this:

Wed 18 Apr     LTHV 4-0 Eyemouth
Thu 19 Apr       LTHV 4-0 Burntisland
Fri 20 Apr
Sat 21 Apr        LTHV 1-0 Kelty
Sun 22 Apr
Mon 23 Apr     LTHV 2-0 Tynecastle
Tue 24 Apr
Wed 25 Apr     Tynecastle v LTHV
Thu 26 Apr
Fri 27 Apr
Sat 28 Apr         Kelty v LTHV


First "2 games & 2 days" in senior football since Dalbeattie Star in 2012-13, AFAIA:

Sun 21 Apr       Dalbeattie 1-3 Whitehill (South Challenge Cup Final - at Annan)
Mon 22 Apr
Tue 23 Apr
Wed 24 Apr     Newton Stewart 1-0 Dalbeattie (Potts Cup SF)
Thu 25 Apr
Fri 26 Apr
Sat 27 Apr         St Cuthbert 1-3 Dalbeattie (Southern Counties Cup R2)
Sun 28 Apr
Mon 29 Apr      Dalbeattie 4-0 Creetown
Tue 30 Apr
Wed 1 May       Dalbeattie 2-1 Threave (Cree Lodge Cup R2)
Thu 2 May
Fri 3 May           Dalbeattie 3-1 Threave (League Cup Final - at QotS)
Sat 4 May
Sun 5 May
Mon 6 May       Dalbeattie 2-1 Wigtown (Tweedie Cup R2)
Tue 7 May
Wed 8 May       Heston 0-1 Dalbeattie (Southern Counties Cup SF)
Thu 9 May
Fri 10 May        Nithsdale 1-1 Dalbeattie, 5-4p (Cree Lodge Cup SF)
Sat 11 May       Dalbeattie 3-1 Wigtown
Sun 12 May
Mon 13 May     St Cuthbert 2-4 Dalbeattie (Tweedie Cup SF)
Tue 14 May
Wed 15 May     Dalbeattie 12-0 Fleet
Thu 16 May
Fri 17 May
Sat 18 May         Dalbeattie 2-1 Threave, aet (Tweedie Cup Final - at Annan)
Sun 19 May
Mon 20 May      Wigtown 1-1 Dalbeattie

[HibeeJibee]

On ‎17‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 14:29, Lurkst said:

I remember in the 2005 Kirin Cup the games were only 48 hours apart. Can't recall Scotland having a tighter schedule than that.

Sat 17 Nov 1945      Combined Services 2-4 Scotland (at Celle Arsenal)
Sun 18 Nov 1945     Combined Services 1-1 Scotland (at Hamburg Bahrenfeld)

Fri 30 May 1986      LA Heat 0-3 Scotland XI
Sat 31 May 1986     Hollywood Kickers 0-4 Scotland XI



Also:


on the 1927 tour of Canada there was 1 case of 4 games in 7 days, 2 cases of 3 games in 5 days, and 3 cases of 2 games in 3 days

Sun 26 May 1929     Norway 3-7 Scotland
Mon 27 May 1929
Tue 28 May 1929     Norway 0-4 Scotland

on the 1935 tour of North America there was 1 case of 2 games in 2 days, 1 case of 4 games in 6 days, and 2 cases of 3 games in 5 days

on the 1939 tour of North America there was 1 case of 2 games in 2 days, and 2 cases of 3 games in 5 days

on the 1949 tour of North America there was 1 case of 2 games in 2 days and 1 case of 3 games in 4 days

Thu 25 May 1950     Portugal 2-2 Scotland
Fri 26 May 1950
Sat 27 May 1950       France 0-1 Scotland

Sat 2 Apr 1955        England 7-2 Scotland
Sun 3 Apr 1955
Mon 4 Apr 1955     Scotland 3-0 Portugal

on the 1967 tour of the World there was 1 case of 2 games in 3 days

Thu 6 May 1976     Scotland 3-1 Wales (British Home Championship)
Fri 7 May 1976
Sat 8 May 1976      Scotland 3-0 Northern Ireland (British Home Championship)

Thu 11 May 2006     Bulgaria 1-5 Scotland (Kirin Cup)
Fri 12 May 2006
Sat 13 May 2006      Japan 0-0 Scotland (Kirin Cup)

[Lurkst]

12 hours ago, HibeeJibee said:

Sat 17 Nov 1945      Combined Services 2-4 Scotland (at Celle Arsenal)
Sun 18 Nov 1945     Combined Services 1-1 Scotland (at Hamburg Bahrenfeld)

Fri 30 May 1986      LA Heat 0-3 Scotland XI
Sat 31 May 1986     Hollywood Kickers 0-4 Scotland XI



Also:


on the 1927 tour of Canada there was 1 case of 4 games in 7 days, 2 cases of 3 games in 5 days, and 3 cases of 2 games in 3 days

Sun 26 May 1929     Norway 3-7 Scotland
Mon 27 May 1929
Tue 28 May 1929     Norway 0-4 Scotland

on the 1935 tour of North America there was 1 case of 2 games in 2 days, 1 case of 4 games in 6 days, and 2 cases of 3 games in 5 days

on the 1939 tour of North America there was 1 case of 2 games in 2 days, and 2 cases of 3 games in 5 days

on the 1949 tour of North America there was 1 case of 2 games in 2 days and 1 case of 3 games in 4 days

Thu 25 May 1950     Portugal 2-2 Scotland
Fri 26 May 1950
Sat 27 May 1950       France 0-1 Scotland

Sat 2 Apr 1955        England 7-2 Scotland
Sun 3 Apr 1955
Mon 4 Apr 1955     Scotland 3-0 Portugal

on the 1967 tour of the World there was 1 case of 2 games in 3 days

Thu 6 May 1976     Scotland 3-1 Wales (British Home Championship)
Fri 7 May 1976
Sat 8 May 1976      Scotland 3-0 Northern Ireland (British Home Championship)

Thu 11 May 2006     Bulgaria 1-5 Scotland (Kirin Cup)
Fri 12 May 2006
Sat 13 May 2006      Japan 0-0 Scotland (Kirin Cup)

Interesting cheers

I wonder why the Wales game in 1976 was played on the Thursday?  That means in the space of 9 days Hampden held 3 Scotland games and a European cup final!

 

[HibeeJibee]

As you say it hosted Wales on the Thursday, Northern Ireland on the Saturday (which was reversed from being their home game as we wouldn't travel due to the Troubles), the European Cup Final on the Wednesday, and finally England on the Saturday.

Evidently the Scotland-Wales game was brought forward to avoid clashing with the European Cup Final (England v Northern Ireland was on the Tuesday night). Why they wouldn't have gone for the Wednesday, avoiding 2 games in 3 days, I'm not sure. It was the Cup-Winners' Cup Final between Anderlecht and West Ham Utd on the Wednesday; was it on TV and they didn't want a clash?